San Miguel adds bird preserve to trophy lure
November 1, 2007
By Ron Henry Strait
San Antonio Express-News
UVALDE — The San Miguel Ranch has a reputation among hunters as a place to pursue trophy whitetails in an open, free-range setting.
That top-quality reputation in the South Texas field is shared by the veteran outfitter’s hospitality and lodging facilities, developed by Mike and Holly Gardner. The Gardner family has been active in the hunting industry in Texas since the 1980s.
Officially called the San Miguel Ranch and Lodge, the original lodge facility is just south of Uvalde. For more than a decade the lakeside hacienda has served as the hub and headquarters for a hunting operation that has grown to cover access to more than 30,000 acres of prime South Texas hunting pastures.
Along the way, San Miguel Ranch has branched out into the hunting of exotics in Texas and worldwide hunting adventures as well as seasonal bird hunting for doves and turkeys, feral hog hunting and varmint hunting, said ranch manager Bret Ferguson.
This year, the Gardners have taken another step down the path to top-end outfitting with the addition of a 3,000-acre ranch southeast of Cline and the construction of an 8,000-square-foot lodge on the crest of a hill that overlooks the property.
I toured the lodge and property a couple of weeks ago as construction was being completed. The view from the hilltop is incredible and the lodge has every modern convenience, down to wireless Internet access.
The staff includes fully trained professional guides and a chef who brings both flair and good food to the dining room.
To complement those amenities and the seasonal hunting operation, the Gardners have now added a bird hunting preserve, or Private Bird Hunting Area. The 670-acre area is comprised of alternating strips of heavy brush and wide, marginally manicured buffle grass senderos arranged at the base of the lodge hill.
The configuration of the preserve pasture is ideal for hunters in the field. Each segment allows for about 20 minutes of flush/shooting with a short break as dogs and hunters are moved to the next sendero. The layout is great for non-hunters, too, as they can look down on the action from the lodge’s arched portico.
Regardless of the season, guests can arrange to hunt chukars, pheasants and quail in the preserve area.
Wingshooting in Texas is associated with fall and winter when doves and waterfowl migrate and quail bundle up in coveys.
The hunting of those birds is permitted under state law and/or federal regulations, with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department regulating non-migratory game species such as quail and pheasants.
The state also allows out-of-season hunting of quail and pheasants under a preserve system that applies to specifically marked plots of land, such as the San Miguel Ranch Private Bird Hunting Area.